Breast cancer affects millions of women and their family and friends every year. Each of those women has their own unique experience upon receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, and those journeys hopefully end with successful treatment.
Because each woman’s breast cancer journey is unique, data regarding the disease only tells part of the story. But recognition of key breast cancer statistics is still important, as data can compel support for women fighting the disease and underscore how vital it is for young women to prioritize breast health.
• A 2017 study from the American Cancer Society found that roughly 42 percent of cancer diagnoses and 45 percent of cancer deaths in the United States are linked to controllable risk factors for the disease. Breast cancer is no exception in that regard, as the Breast Cancer Coalition Foundation points to studies that have shown as many as 50 to 70 percent of breast cancers can be prevented if women adopt lifestyle changes early enough.
• The ACS estimates that approximately 30 percent of postmenopausal breast cancer diagnoses are linked to modifiable risk factors such as diet and physical activity levels.
• The World Health Organization reports 2.3 million women across the globe were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. WHO data also indicates 670,000 women lost their lives to the disease in 2022.
• Breast cancer poses a greater threat to women’s lives in countries with a low Human Development Index (HDI), which is a metric used by the United Nations Development Program to gauge a country’s average achievement in areas such as healthy life and standard of living.
WHO data indicates one in 12 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and one in 71 women will die of the disease in countries with a high HDI. In countries with a low HDI, where access to medical care is more limited, one in 27 will be diagnosed with breast cancer and one in 48 will die from it.
• Five-year survival rates indicate that treatment is most effective when breast cancer is caught in its earliest stages. Data from the ACS indicates a 99 percent five-year survival rate for cancer discovered before it has spread beyond the place it started.
When the cancer is considered regional, which the National Cancer Institute defines as cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes, tissues or organs, the five-year survival rate is 86 percent. The five-year survival rate for distant cancer, which indicates it has spread to distant parts of the body, is 30 percent.
• Survival rates differ considerably between Black women and White women diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the ACS, the five-year survival rate for Black women between 2012-2018 was 83 percent compared to 92 percent for White women during that same period.